Cylinder lock construction



22, 1957 R. K. GRAY ETAL CYLINDER Locx CONSTRUCTION Filed May 21, 1965 35 37 INVE'NTORS I RAYMOND K.GRAY BY STANLEY OwOLN'lAK 01 /1 9 wmJ I United States Patent 3,336,774 CYLINDER LOCK CONSTRUCTION Raymond K. Gray, Skokie, and Stanley C. Wolniak, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Illinois Lock Company, a corporation of Illinois Filed May 21, 1965, Ser. No. 457,619 2 Claims. (Cl. 70-367) This invention relates to a lock construction which may readily be modified to fit lock housing assemblies of different lengths.

A plug and cylinder lock has an outer cylinder in which a rotatable plug is received. The plug carries tumblers which extend into a slot or slots in the interior cylinder wall. When the tumblers are retracted by an appropriate key, the plug can be rotated. Dilferent models of locks have cylinders and plugs of differing lengths, although the number of tumblers and the portion of the plug in which the tumblers are carried may be the same. This causes a problem of stocking plug blanks for the assembly of a variety of lock sizes which may be ordered.

Furthermore, many lock users have apparatus incorporating different sizes of locks for which they would like to be able to remove and interchange plug assemblies. Where it is necessary to have replacement plugs of a variety of dilferent lengths, the cos-t of maintaining spare supplies can be quite high. An example of such a lock user is in the vending machine field. One service company may operate vending machines of many different types, as drink machines, gum machines, candy machines, and the like. Each different type machine may take a different length lock, depending on the physical construction of the cabinet and door. It is desirable from the standpoint of the Serviceman that all of the machines on his route have the same keying. This facilitates his work and avoids the necessity for carrying a great many keys. Very often when a service company purchases new machines they pull all the locks that are supplied and substitute locks with the same key. The use of a standard lock construction would be helpful. Furthermore, if the key of one of the servicemen is lost or stolen, it may be necessary to change the locks on all of the machines he services. Again, a standardized lock construction is de sirable.

Equipment manufacturers find it convenient to utilize a lock with a dummy plug which can be replaced with a standard plug by the purchaser. This avoids the inconvenience of returning the plug which is removed to the lock manufacturers for credit.

A principal object of this invention is the provision of a given lock plug assembly for key locks which can readily be adapted for use in housings having cylinders of different lengths.

More particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a single plug assembly which can readily be adapted for different length cylinders by connecting interchangeable extension means of variable lengths. thereto.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view of the lock construction of this invention as positioned in a door or the like;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation view of one end of the lock construction showing the key insert opening;

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 and showing in elevation the plug assembly;

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view taken at right angles to the section of FIGURE 3 and showing a modified construction;

3,336,774 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 FIGURE 5 is an elevation view of one end of the plug assembly container of this invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the container of FIGURE 5, showing in elevation a plug assembly therein.

The invention is illustrated herein as embodied in a cam type key actuated plug and cylinder lock. Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, a key lock plug assembly 10 is provided having a front flange portion 11, a main plug portion 12, a key slot 13 extending through the flange portion and main plug portion, and a plurality of tumblers 14 retractable by inserting a key (not shown) into the key slot. As seen best in FIGURE 4, the inner face of the main plug portion of the plug assembly is provided with a dovetail connecting means 16.

Embodied in this invention is a plug extension 17 which is connected to the inner end of the plug assembly. The extension is provided with a female connecting means 18 at the normally front face of the extension. The female connecting means is complementary to and cooperates with the dovetail connecting means 16 of the plug assembly to prevent longitudinal as well as rotative movement between the plug assembly and the plug extension.

A cylinder 19 is provided within which the plug assembly 10 and the plug extension 17 are housed. Tumbler grooves 22 in the cylinder maintain the tumblers 14 in a locked position preventing rotation of the plug assembly. On insertion of a key, the tumblers are retracted to permit rotation of the entire plug assembly 10 and its extension 17 to operate a desired mechanism. It can be seen that the plug extensions can be provided in variable lengths for adapting a basic plug assembly to cylinders of variable lengths.

In the form of this invention shown in FIGURE 4, the plug and extension are held in the cylinder by a ring 30 received in groove 31 and which bears against the end of cylinder 19.

On the rear face of the plug extension is provided a generally rectangular boss 23 to which a desired locking mechanism can be secured. In the present embodiment a cam 24 is the desired locking mechanism. The cam is provided with a generally rectangular orifice 26 which matches the generally rectangular boss 23 in order that the cam can be positioned onto the boss and retained thereon by appropriate means, which can take the form of a pan head cupped point screw 27. The screw is provided with a lock washer 28 to facilitate a more eflici'ent tamper-proof lock. The screw is inserted into the-threaded bore 29 in the plug extension to retain the cam 24 thereon. Cam 24 bears against the end of cylinder 19 to retain plug 10 and extension 17 in the cylinder. The dovetail connecting means securing the plug extension to the plug assembly is but one of several possible constructions. Other means by which the plug extension can be mated to the plug assembly and which will prevent axial and rotative relative movement between these members may be used. The dovetail construction is preferred because it provides the necessary connecting strength with the shortest axial dimension. The length required is merely the length of the dovetail, for the female connecting means overlaps the dovetail.

FIGURES 5 and 6 show a sleeve-like container 35 for the plug assembly 10. It will be necessary for an operator to carry on his service route a supply of basic plug assemblies which must be packaged to prevent loss of the tumblers 14. The container of this invention provides for a simple snapping action to remove a plug assembly from the container. As seen in the drawings, the container is provided with a cylindrical body portion 36 having a cylindrical hollow cavity 37 for containing the plug assembly. A lip 38 is disposed at one end of the cavity to retain the plug within the cavity. A reduced diameter portion 39 is disposed at the other end of the cavity. The reduced diameter portion is provided as a gripping means so that an operator can simply apply pressure to this portion to snap the plug assembly past the lip 38 to facilitate easy removal of the plug from the container.

In operation, a distributor of confectionaries who would employ this invention would have on hand a number of basic plug assemblies which would respond to a single key. The number of assemblies and the number of keys will naturally depend on the distributors requirements and the distributors service routes. In addition, the distributor will have on hand a number of interchangeable plug extensions having various lengths depending on the type and nature of vending machines which must be serviced. Thus, when the distributor must replaced a damaged lock, replace a new lock, or simply finds it necessary to change the service routes of his various operators, he would no longer be required to change the vending machine themselves or to change the entire locking mechanism for each machine. By employing the present invention, the distributor can replace a damaged lock by simply removing the old plug assembly, inserting the basic standard assembly responding to the particular key he may select and adding thereto a plug extension having a length suflicient to operate a locking mechanism designed for the particular cylinder length involved. In many instances, he may csimply have to interchange the extensions Without having to change the plug assembly itself. A standardized lock construction which permits such flexible utility has been provided by this invention.

While we have shown and described certain embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Change, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A lock comprising: a housing having a cylindrical bore; a generally cylindrical plug assembly in the front portion of the bore in said housing and having a connecting portion on the inner end of the plug assembly; a locking mechanism exterior of said housing; an extension for said plug having a complementary connecting portion cooperating with said connecting portion of said plug to secure said extension to said plug, said connecting portions having interlocking surface means for transmitting rotary motion from said plug to said locking mechanism and preventing relative axial movement between the plug assembly and extension; means engaging said extension and said housing for locating said plug assembly in said housing and axially retaining said plug assembly in said bore; and means on said extension for operating said locking mechanism.

2. The lock of claim 1 wherein said housing has an inner end face and said plug extends beyond said housing for operating said locking mechanism and including means exterior of said housing projecting outwardly from said extension and bearing against the inner face of said housing for holidng said plug assembly and extension in said housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,417,647 5/1922 White 379 1,922,889 8/1933 Falk 70368 2,036,764 4/1936 Lowe 70-369 2,804,765 9/1957 Biblin 70-372 X 3,212,307 10/1965 Hallgren 70364 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. EDWARD C. ALLEN, Examiner. P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LOCK COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVING A CYLINDRICAL BORE; A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PLUG ASSEMBLY IN THE FRONT PORTION OF THE BORE IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A CONNECTING PORTION ON THE INNER END OF THE PLUG ASSEMBLY; A LOCKING MECHANISM EXTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING; AND EXTENSION FOR SAID PLUG HAVING A COMPLEMENTARY CONNECTING PORTION COOPERATING WITH SAID CONNECTING PORTION OF SAID PLUG TO SECURE SAID EXTENSION TO SAID PLUG, SAID CONNECTING PORTIONS HAVING INTERLOCKING SURFACE MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTARY MOTION FROM SAID PLUG TO SAID LOCKING MECHANISM AND PREVENTING RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE PLUG ASSEMBLY AND EXTENSION; MEANS ENGAGING SAID EXTENSION AND SAID HOUSING FOR LOCATING SAID PLUG ASSEMBLY IN SAID HOUSING AND AXIALLY RETAINING SAID PLUG ASSEMBLY IN SAID BORE; AND MEANS ON SAID EXTENSION FOR OPERATING SAID LOCKING MECHANISM. 